A Thoroughly Pleasant Series of Seemingly Unconnected Interludes

Painful as the memorial service was on Saturday, it was a warm and heartfelt tribute to the man that Eddie was. If not for my *shudder* feelings about organized religion, it would have been a most pleasant experience. And still was really. One of Eddie's lifelong and best friends speechified on the person that he was. The guy had the house in tears several times. You could tell it came from the bottom of his heart.

The pop over to Richard and Michele' place was pleasant as well. These are two more people who take most others for what they are and not be judgmental. I am thankful they are once again in my life...They are good folks! I'm invited today for Labor Day. Not sure if I'll make that one. But yaknow, at some point I probably WILL need to get out of here!

Drove over to Nancy and Ivan's. Nancy and I sat around and shot the shit for a while before we headed out to dinner. She kept getting calls from a couple of their grandchildren that they have been estranged from for a few years. Apparently the former D-I-L is encouraging this...Hard as it sounds, an ulterior motive is suspected. Can't say as I blame them. Nancy told them more than once, that they were getting ready to go out to dinner, and would call upon their return if it wasn't too late.

Ivan was finally ready and we took off in Nancy's VW Bug. I had no idea what a pleasant little car this was. Roomy, in the front anyway. A very pleasant ride it was. Lively conversation, a perfectly beautiful sunny Houston afternoon. Was a leisurely ride down the feeder of the Sam Houston Tollway. Ivan refuses to pay tolls...*heh*

The Monument Inn is up the road a piece from the San Jacinto Monument. For you non Texas denizens, the Monument commemorates the place where in 1836, the Texan Army, under General Sam Houston routed and smashed the Mexican Army in about 18 minutes, winning Texas' independence from Mexico.

The restaurant sits right next to a small ferry crossing and overlooks the Houston Ship Channel *blechhhh* As long as you don't go in the water you should be okay. The view IS nice though. The place was packed! Seating arrangements moved along fairly quickly though. Dinner was scrumptious. Dinner conversation was great. I ate too much...Dang! Stuffed crabs though - Yummy! They also serve cinnamon rolls with the dinner biscuits. Boy...Are those ever good. Nancy had two of those before we ever saw the dinner plates and spoiled her appetite for her fried shrimp! She was happy though so what the hell!

Finished dinner and then headed over to on of their son's houses so Ivan could show me his woodshop. Sits on the back of the property and is about 1000 SF. And does he have some nice toys! I met the son for the second or third time *grins*. Then we bailed and went back to hacienda Luckey. We talked for a while after we got back until the two granddaughters got there. Nancy proceeded to entertain them in the kitchen while Ivan and I sat in the living room too, full, and (me anyway) fat, dumb and happy. Talked about his shop. About his kids and my kids. Talked about the past and hopes for the future. At some point I went outside for a smoke and called The Queen and told her I where I was and was gonna stay where I was tonight because I was just too tired to drive home. *It's a long drive when you're tired*. At some point before my eyes slammed shut for what I hoped would be the rest of the night, Ivan wanted milk and cookies. So we did this thing - Nancy's home made Chocolate chip with pecans cookies. Yum!

The girls were still going strong in the kitchen when he and I both decided it would be better to be horizontal. I was so tired I could barely keep my eyes open. I grabbed a National Geo and went to the room I was assigned for the night. I hadn't planned to spend the night so my meds and the machine were right where they were supposed to be - Not with me. I figured though I was tired enough it wouldn't matter - The bed felt right and I couldn't keep my eyes open.